Alicia Keys Performs Beautiful New Track “Not Even The King”

Alicia Keys is finally getting back to the music that made us fall in love with her. She made an appearance at the Stand Up To Cancer Telethon last night, where she performed a brand new track from her upcoming ‘Girl On Fire’ album and now she has officially released the studio version online.

Her raspy vocals and beautiful lyrics accompanied by just her piano on the song titled, ‘Not even A King’ are reminiscent of the, ‘Diary of Alicia Keys‘ standout track, “If I Ain’t Got You”. She uses metaphors in the lyrics to describe how riches mean nothing without love, but she took it to a timeless place that puts it in a league with Beatles songs or even a few by Stevie Wonder.

She sings:

“Money.
Some people so poor that all they’ve got is money
And diamonds.
Some people waste their lives counting their thousands.
I don’t care what they’re offering…
how much gold they bring.
They can’t afford what we’ve got.
Not even the king.”

Oooh Castles
Some people so lonely, what good is a castle
Surrounded by people
but ain’t got a friend who’s not on the payroll
I don’t care what they bring
they can have everything
they can’t afford what we got
Not even a king

Watch her perform it live during the ‘Stand Up To Cancer’ Telethon, plus listen to the studio version below

Shesh AK..where did ur curves go woman? ya flat, with no thighs or butt..i like the thick you better. I just havent been feeling these singles. I’d really rather her just write songs. Cant knock her for trying tho..

+2kellie Reply:September 9th, 2012 at 12:21 pm

some peole haven’t moved on. people still beating up fantasia. alicia is a dirty whore. i bet mashonda hasnt moved on from the humiliation

+16Gem Reply:September 8th, 2012 at 5:08 pm

I never understood how people can be so up in arms about something that happened in someone else’s personal life…unless it happended to you then…*shrug*

sorry if you have been cheated on (not me), as a REAL man, I respect my woman to know if it is over, then say it is over. I have no respect for Cheaters, woman beaters, and fake people. Which one of the three do you fit into?

I’m loving the way this album is shaping up. I know I’m in the minority but I have been loving all the singles Alicia has been releasing. I feel like she’s giving us vintage Alicia and a little bit of something new while staying true to her musical roots.

Agreed. You are only the minority on these blogs. I’m loving this new single and girl on fire. I’m looking forward to hearing more from this album.

+10Questions Reply:September 9th, 2012 at 12:37 am

We’ll see in album sales. I bought a few of her albums and generally like her music, but this new stuff isn’t doing anything for me. Her voice sounds hoarse (not raspy that I like) and the music is boring.

Not saying I don’t want her to do well, I hope she has continued musical success, but I don’t think this new album connected with the musical preference of the music buying population of today.

Songbirdie Reply:September 9th, 2012 at 3:50 pm

Right. I realize the folks on this blog have a vendetta against Alicia.

NB site really exaggerates on the description of things..maybe the positivity and ass kissing is too keep a relationship with the artist for the redcarpets and to get an interview..but this is awful singing like anything else she does..i must admit i love “new day”…but this is a no go love

Beautiful song
It amazes me how Alicia right from the start has shown up for charity in ways that are not just about money. She gives in so much time to charity that most stars just never ever give.
What is really sad is the judgement and rude comments that I have seen across urban bloggs and media in general when it comes to her private life. Its really interesting how the same media will never show you pictures of Alicia, Swiss and his kids mothers show up for the kids. Swiss actually spends alot of time with his kids taking them to charity events including fundraiser for undepriviledged kids and also has them doing charity work. He spends alot of one on one time with his daughter and actually has all of them over at his and Alicia’s home very often. More that many super stars caught up in the same situation. Just go to their instagram and see how much these two do for charity and do with their kids (yes their kids, Alicia treats them as such). So it would seem to me that the only people caught up in the situation are all the strangers out there but the people involved have moved on and seem quite cordial towards each other. But of course that doesnt make for great gossip so you wont read about that.

I would agree with the “get over it and move on, its her pricate life” section of the peanut gallery. But I think what some fans cannot wrap their mind around is she is such an inspirational and empowering powerful lyrist and musician especially when it as to do with girl power…yet she stepped into someone unfinished marriage. So when you are vining to her music that is kinda always sitting in the back of your mind and word fraud just won’t do away…

I’m sure you’ve been perfect your whole life and have never sinned. God 4gives everyone including you. Anyway I like this song better than ‘Girl On Fire’ I hope she blends this with her roots. I still think about what I was doing when I heard her older songs. That is classic music right there!

A lot of her core fans don’t read urban blogs and even when she was receiving the most criticism, just before and after Element of Freedom was released, she still sold 450, 000 albums in her first week and debuted at #2. I think she’ll be fine.

Check again honey, go to an Alicia Keys Concert and you will see exactly what her fan base looks like, you will be suprised.

+16Rita Reply:September 8th, 2012 at 3:13 pm

But most Blacks don’t read these blogs, these blogs are read by a few people, most professional blacks are not trolling blogs on a dailly basis, they don’t get their NEWS from BLOGS, they go to credible sources, I guarantee you if you poll the blog users it’s young people betwenn 14-21, most grown ups buy their music based on talent, musicianship and just plain old good music, the people that Alicia appeals too are not your typical people, even the ones that do visit the blogs and support her they are on a different level when it comes to age and music.

I really, really feel sorry for ignorant people like you. Alicia Keys has a fan base like no other, they are dedicated to great music and true musicianship, and it is wide and varied, it is not limited to black people who read black blogs and tabloid, which is the ONLY place that you hear this **** about her, the mainstream media adores Alicia and they will continue too. When her single drop it was so hilarious to see the difference in the black blogs and the mainstream media, it says a lot about us and the way that we treat our people. Alicia don’t have to worry about anything, she performed girl on fire on Thursday and the song went to #1 on Itunes, she perfomed Not Even a King and the mainstream media just simply adored it, as they should because it is beautiful song. You must be 12 because the simple thought that no one is checking for Alicia is laughable, people have been waiting 3 year for her to drop a new album, practically begging her because the crave quality songs with meaning, her music is timeless and that my dear you cannot take away by slander on a black blog. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is music. Beautiful, honest lyrics … a REAL instrument … and a timeless voice. Please support art like this and BOYCOTT the tasteless music that’s in the forefront. Let’s make our ancestors proud.

Your opinion on music is your opinion..she is not a real vocalist, and her voice is not timeless..this is not music either…a real vocalist is Jill Scott, Jazmin Sullivan, Brandy,Crisette Michelle, Tank, Glenn Lewis, Musiq Soulchile, Dwele , …the real singers…alicia keys yells…and screams…that is not singing…boycott HER

a real instrument from a fake ass “woman”. a real woman get her own man. a real woman waits until the divorce is final before getting pregnant. a real woman doesn’t pretend her baby came early because she knew she was with another woman’s husband , thus making herself look good. a real woman is not alicia keys. yes she may do great things for charities but i would not let my child look up to her as a role model.

WTF kind of ignorant lies are you spewing. Alicia Keys baby was born on time when did she pretend that her baby came early?? You are a delusional **** spewing lies. Your ****** kids should be looking up to you as a role model not a celebrity. You people kill me with these requirements, Alicia has never been fake she has always been real and down to earth, just because you idiots decided to hold her to a higher standard now your feelings are all hurt because she is human that is not her issue, people like you are ignorant, my suggestion too you is too not listen to any music or watch any television because ALL of these folks are human and have issues, and by the way I hope that your indignation is not just set aside for celebrities. I hope you have the balls to daily confront those people in your life who doesn’t live up to your high standards. I bet you don’t dare pull up your friends and family members and tell them in their face about their personal lives, people like you hide behind a computer and judge others but wouldn’t dare confront the issues in your own sorroundings, go worry about what the people in your life are doing and let Alicia be great at what she does, which is bring great , quality music to the masses. SMDH!!! haters and judgers stay on their grind even on a Sunday morning.

There you go!!! it is the hypocrisy of BLACK WOMEN, and I am one, and it shames me sometimes to see how they choose to slaughter each other. I think Chirs deserves forgiveness and this is for something that he did and we KNOW he did, but in Alicia’s case we do NOT know, hence I don’t even see the need for forgeiveness on the fans behalf. It’s just women being destructive and negative and it’s shameful.

Oh my Lawd that song was beautiful, it had me in tears, the lyrics, the delivery the music, this is vintage Alicia. I absolutely cannot wait for this album to come out. I have a word to those negative, insecure people who continue to make comments about Alicia Keys, what you see on that lady is true happiness, that some of you will NEVER EVER experience, not because she is rich and famous but because of her spirit and who she is, when you breath negativity your life will reflect it, when you live positively your life will reflect it. I have a feeling that a lot of you who continue to make nasty an derogatory comments about Alicia and her personal life are miserable whether you realize it or not, cut it out, you have NO idea about this womans personal life and what did or did not occur, other than what you read in a tabloid and what you got from a woman scorned but if you are going to persecute her for her relationship then you better try and figure out where that little girl came from that came after his son with his ex wife, clearly you choose to ignore that to fuel your hate and ignorance. Alicia is what happiness looks like and it’s not just about a man or her child, it’s about her passion, her genuine good heart and the wonderful things that she has done for others. When is the last time that you did something nice, out of the kindness of your heart for someone? a homeless person, an ailing person a friend that was in need? worry about your own life and your own end result and let Ms. Keys be. What a beautiful song, I absolutely cannot wait for this album to drop.

I am so sick and tired of people glorifying celebrity good deeds and ignoring the fact that there are people who do these things 24/7. When a celebrity does a kind act one day out of ten, who do you think is doing the rest of the nine days 24/7? People need to start appreciating the good deeds that they do on top of what the celebrities add to it.

Ok, I don’t quite know which celebrities you are referring too, but Alicia Keys have been doing philanthropic work since she started in music, even prior to Fallin becoming a hit, so it is consistent with her, she is one of the top global philanthropist and this has been recognized by the UN and many other philanthropic organizations all over the world, so I don’t know about any other celeb, but this is not the exception for Alicia Keys, this is the norm.

Umm!!!! correct me if I am wrong but was Swizz Beatz not seperated from his ex wife? and did he not have a kid by someone else prior to him getting with Alicia Keys? now these are factual bits of information, that cannot be refuted. What you got?

Swizz Beatz will and always be a liar in my book. He is beyond trash to me. Now as far as Alicia Keys is concerned she is just a dumb bird who got pregnant from a man who was STILL MARRIED and went with him to have a paternity test taken for another child in London. the problem is that these Alicia Keys fans refuse to accept the fact that their precious Alicia would go down such a road. You say that Alicia Keys fan base is wide and that these Black blogs dont matter–okay. thn tell me why she felt like she had to do the interview in Essence Mag a black magazine. Her and Swizz have not been able to keep their lies straight but as all things do will catch up to them

Im not mad at alicia myself cuz who cares about mashonda.. But I can see where people coming from with their dislike of her now.. She stood for, song about unity, female empowerment, she should have waited.. I cant blame people who dont like her now, especially married women.. But this site loves her so people will defend to the death.. Me, I just think her talent went down, tgats why I dont like it

Alicia is in the league of Stevie Wonder and he has passed on the crown to her, you people have no clue about how huge this woman is, she is an ALL AROUND artist, she is not limited, she does it all, and there are not many that can, she is a dying breed. Just like Stevie, Alicia’s music will be relevant for decades, some of these people that you all are worshipping now will be easily forgotten, or their music will not be relevant, but Alicia’s will her music is timeless, no matter when, no matter where you hear it , it will be relevant. Sorry to disappoint you, but history will tell the truth and you CANNOT beat that no matter how you try.

Alicia Keys is an amazing artist. Her artistry is genuine simply because she gives her voice and her talent as a pianist. However, her relationship/situation with Swizz Beats was shady and for that reason it makes me take a second glance at her character as a women. Ultimately, she will maintain her success because she is biracial and her fan base enjoys authentic talent. Unlike Beyonce ass shaking non stop. Alicia Keys has less to offer being married to a man like Swizz but as an individual her name alone will carry the weight for the lack of character she presents as his wife. Anywho which king is speaking of? Hopefully, not our creator because we all know He is the alpha and omega. That is all, Good day!!!

@ SADIE YOU DON’T KNOW GOD BECAUSE HE HAS NOT MOVE IN ON THIS HOME WRECKER YET READ YOUR BIBLE GOD IS NOT MOCK YOU REAP TO THE FLESH YOU REAP CORRUPTION YOU REAP TO THE SPIRIT YOU REAP EVERY LASTING LIFE!

GOD IS GOING TO HAVE THE FINAL SAY AND HE HAS NOT MOVED YET, LADIES DO NOT DESTROY YOUR SOUL DO NOT BE A HOME WRECKER AND SLEEP OR DATE A MARRIED MAN AND YOU KNOW THAT HE IS MARRIED.

CONTINUATION… YOU SOW TO THE FLESH YOU REAP CORRUPTION, YOU LADIES WOULD FEEL
DIFFERENT IF IT HAPPEN TO YOU… LIARS AND CHEATERS ARE EVIL AND WICKED BUT KARMA WILL COME KNOCKING GOD IS A MAN THAT CAN’T LIE READ YOUR BIBLE!

This is the most ignorant comment I have seen yet. Why don’t you take your behind and look at your friend, your mother, your father, your sister, your brother, your grandma all of the people in your life who are human and have errored I hope that your feelings are not just set aside for celebrities because in your deluded mind they are somehow super human and are too be held to the same stanard, you bible beaters kill me and this is coming from someone who is a true believer, you DO NOT pick and choose God’s word, because just as easily as you judge her, you are committing a sin, not to mention you are bearing false witness to a situation that you were not prevy too, you did not see it for yourself, you did not hear the interaction for yourself and you are speaking on it, yet I am very sure that the people in your life who are closest too you, you do not dare speak to them on their sins, because it is always easier to hide behind a computer and judge others than to judge those who are right in your face. I bet all of you who get on here and condemn Alicia and others would NEVER do it to your family members who are closest too you, which are the ones whose souls you should be concerned about. Alicia is a human being just like the rest of us, she will stand before God by herself like the rest of us, but at least she will be answering for her own sin that she brought on herself ,you will be answering for all of yours which will include judging someone that you don’t even know, now how crazy is that, you have created an additional sin for yourself to answer too because you chose to judge someone and a situation that you did not know, now that is sad my dear, you may want to rethink your thought process. It is none of your business, it is not your sin to bare and it is not your place to judge.

I think this is a very beautiful song, I love the lyrics. She sounds like she did years ago when she did her first 2 albums. I am wondering if she will release this song as the next single. If she does I hope that there will be an additional version of this song that will include an orchestra. There needs to be more than just her piano.

I would agree with the “get over it and move on, its her private life” section of the peanut gallery. But I think what some fans cannot wrap their mind around is she is such an inspirational and empowering powerful lyrist and musician, especially when it has to do with girl power…yet she stepped into someone elses unfinished marriage. So when you are vibing to her music, that thought is kinda always sitting in the back of your mind and the word fraud just won’t do away…

Your problem, not hers, you should never get that invested in someone else, she is a human being, it is not her fault that people put her on a pedestal, not to mention NO ONE but those three people know the truth and it is really none of our business. These celebs do not owe us their lives, it’s supply and demand, the only thing they owe us is great music, great acting, great art, whatever it is that w eare buying from them, that is it. Just like they can’t say we only want to service a certain type of fan we have no right to ask them how to live, stop putting people on pedastals, when I hear her music I hear beautiful music, with great lyrical content, performed by a beautiful person who is obviously passionate about what she does, her personal life has no effect on me, so like I said the issue has become your issue not hers, and in that case you probably can’t listen to much because all of these artist have something going on in their lives that may not be that great, do you think unwed mother when you listen to certain artist? do you think irresponsible father when you listen to certain artist? how far are we supposed to go with this?

Fans INVEST their damn money in her records so don’t be stupid. They are pubic figures and just lik R Kelly when these artist have dram and scandal it is hard to separate why what selling and if they are genuine with it. You seems invested that anyone else judging from the frigging defense book you just wrote. It is what it is.

I totally agree!!! These celebs are out here begging for our attention and money and want us to praise them at every turn. Alicia wants us to love her just like any other celeb out here so she does not get a pass when she does wrong. there is a bigger responsibility for them to do their best to do what is right. Yes we all make mistakes, but don’t expect us to look over it like it didnt happen and then sit and watch as you try and lie about it. I think the thing that irritates people the most about Alicia Keys with this situation is that she feels she is above everyone else and that she does nothing wrong. Beginning of a hard downfall.
P.S. She need to chill with those damn hand signs…we see you!!!

Pretty1908 Reply:September 10th, 2012 at 10:21 am

i hate to say it but when i see alicia that’s what i think of hopefully we can all get past it

Her voice sounds different. It’s like a raspy/yelling. I can’t really identify with her music anymore. It all seems contradictory. It’s nice she has happiness, but it came about the wrong way. They say you lose them the same way you get them. Yes, Swizz left, but was she the deciding factor? Out of her music since she’s been with Swizz, I only like unthinkable. It’s a beautiful song…I just hope she’s not talking about him. I feel that her music overall has decreased in quality since ‘Diary.”

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